Does Council Tax Valuation Band Predict that a Household Receives Means-tested Benefits?

Abstract Background There are no simple means of predicting which UK households are supported by state benefits and how these homes are distributed. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that means-tested benefits are more likely to support households in the lower council tax bands. Method This is a cross-sectional study incorporating Local Authority benefit statistics and data on Council Tax Valuation Bands in three North Wiltshire communities. The distributions of means-tested benefits in post-code areas were compared with the spectra of council tax valuation bands in those areas and aggregated for the three communities. Results In each community means-tested benefits were many times more likely to be supporting households from council tax bands A and B. Conclusions It is possible to predict, from knowing the council tax band of any household, the likelihood of its being in receipt of state benefits and therefore, in communal terms, the relative deprivation or affluence of any area or region.